Facts for Prelims (FFP)
Source: NDTV
Context: Scientists have made a ground-breaking discovery of a gigantic ocean lying 700 kilometres beneath the Earth’s surface, hidden within a rock called ringwoodite.
- This subterranean reservoir, three times the volume of all the planet’s surface oceans combined, was revealed through studies of seismic activity.
- Ringwoodite’s unique properties allow it to trap water like a sponge.
- This discovery suggests a whole-Earth water cycle and sheds light on the abundance of liquid water on the planet’s surface.
Ringwoodite is a mineral that forms in the Earth’s mantle at high temperatures and pressures. It’s a water-rich mineral that can contain iron and hydrogen.
